|
Professional organizations play an important role in any industry. They provide a structured environment to promote fair business practices and encourage members to share their expertise with one another. By joining a trade organization, you are promising to adhere to the standards set by that organization. Bookselling is no exception.
For booksellers, the professional organization of note since 1949 is the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and its European counterpart the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). Its main objective, according to the Web site ABAA.com, is to oversee the ethics of the profession by setting standards of practice and providing a governing body to handle problems and complaints. The Web site states: "The Ethics Code requires that all material offered for sale be authentic, be accurately described, and that a full cash refund, or other mutually agreeable settlement, be available to any purchaser for any item that is not."
Members are expected to know the terminology of the trade, accurately describe items for sale and provide refunds for items returned that are not properly described, members should sell only books they have clear title to, not to trade in stolen merchandise, obey copyright laws, authenticate materials they are selling, terms of sale clearly laid out and members agreeing to pay for merchandise within thirty days of purchase, pack books responsibly so that no damage occurs during shipping, extend fellow members a trade discount, items for sale should be clearly marked with a price and items not for sale should be segregated, appraisals should conform to the IRS regulations, and members should not solicit a customer in a fellow member's booth or shop without consent.
Good rules to live by in the book world. It is the aim of this organization to foster and promote the collecting of antiquarian books and to commune with like-minded dealers on a fair playing field.
What are the perks for joining an organization such as this, and is this an organization open to all? The rules for joining include a good credit rating, conducting business full time for four continuous years, and be of good character and reputation. Applicants need the recommendation of four members, one primary and three secondary. The primary sponsor should visit the applicant's place of business at least 60 days prior to filing the application, which costs $100. If the applicant receives a favorable rating from 2/3 of the Board of Governors, they can join. The entrance fee is $300, and yearly dues are $575.
What do you get? The ABAA sponsored book fairs draw large crowds of collectors and a hearty sampling of members with their finest books to sell. The next one is Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Boston in conjunction with the New England Print Fair at the Hynes Convention Center. When it comes to sales, there is no comparison to an ABAA show, where proceeds can reach the thousands.
An ethics committee meets and hears complaints against members. Those members who violate the rules can be expelled.
With the introduction of the Internet, the ABAA was confronted with the influx of new, sometimes unseasoned slew of sellers. Booksellers now don't have to have an open shop. They can work the equivalent of a full time job from their homes, never meeting customers, and rarely meeting up with fellow sellers outside a chat board. Ethics are defined by the individual. Can this kind of seller use an organization like the ABAA?
Organizations based on the principles of the ABAA include the OAUA (Online Auction Users Association) and IOBA (Independant Online Booksellers Association). Members promise to adhere to many of the same kind of business conditions the ABAA outlines and adds a few specifics relating to auctions. Shill bidding, misuse of feedback, stealing images from others are among the specifics. In short, they, like the ABAA, outline ways to be polite, fair, and promote better business practices.
The IOBA holds three different forms of memberships and fees that correlate to the degree of participation in the organization. It also allows for complaints to be lodged against members. The OAUA is free.
ABAA http://www.abaa.com
OAUA http://www.auctionusers.org
IOBA http://www.ioba.org
The value to these organizations extends beyond the benefit of high-end shows and a sense of camaraderie among members. These professional organizations allow a standard of conduct to be set that is common to responsible sellers. The organizations promote a sense of security among buyers that participating sellers take their profession seriously.
|
